


National security

by Signe_chan



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-29
Updated: 2013-10-29
Packaged: 2017-12-30 20:28:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1023033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Signe_chan/pseuds/Signe_chan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being King of a small country is a lot more work than Tony expected, if the US government hadn't tried to take his suits he wouldn't even be here but now he was here he was going to make the best of it and that meant keeping his people safe. When he saw the Hulk he couldn't help himself, he knew he had to have it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	National security

“Hey, careful with that,” Tony yelled, waving at the workman fastening the straps around the giant crate. The man gave him a long glare, like Tony didn’t know what the hell he was doing which, fair, but Tony had made it through the last several months on not knowing what he was doing but trying to look like he did and he wasn’t going to stop now. 

“It’ll be fine,” the guy beside him said, tone kind of gruff but probably intended as reassuring. He was a tall man, pale skin, gaunt. Tony had never quite worked out where in the world he came from or had the nerve to ask. A contractor, nice way of saying a mercenary. Because as much as Tony might want to take out every threat in the world himself he was one man. Hence the current situation. 

“Yeah, I know. I designed it. I just don’t want your guys banging up my stuff.” 

The mercenary gave him an unimpressed look and Tony shrugged. It was fair comment. The job itself had been easy. Tony had developed the moving apparatus and the sedative. He’d have done it himself but it wasn’t a one man job, as much as he wanted it to be, and he had other things to do. 

“My King…” 

“Yeah, don’t call me that,” Tony interrupted, hand waving. “I’m not your King, you are not one of my people. Also, really don’t like being called that.” 

He strode away quickly, leaving the other man rushing to catch up. Hopefully he’d keep his mouth shut this time. It wasn’t like it wasn’t true, though. And since he’d moved here full time to take this ridiculous role he’d hardly been able to deny it but where he’d thought at 15 being a full time monarch would be pretty cool, the reality of it now was pretty damn scary. Hence the pretending he knew what he was doing and desperately hoping nobody called him on the lie. 

Honestly, if he had any other option he’d not be here. The island had functioned for years without a Stark in residence but being head of your own nation that was a sovereign state recognised by the U.N. came in handy sometimes and, well, a little responsibility to stay alive and keep the suit? 

He should have given the army the suit when he still had the chance. 

“Alright, let me see it,” he shouted. The mercenary fitting the rigging looked over to his boss who must had given him a signal as the next second with much ‘yes, your majesty’ he loosened the fabric covering the cage and let it drop. 

The monster was huge and green. Even heavily sedated it looked fierce. Perfect. When he’d seen the footage of it in Harlem he knew he had to own it. The perfect guard dog for his little nation. He might not be able to smash any enemy the world night set against them but he bet this guy could. 

Satisfied, he gestures for the mercenary to pull the sheet back up and headed back into his palace. Things were going to get better from here. 

***

The thing it would have been useful to know beforehand was that running a Kingdom (even a really tiny Kingdom) was a hell of a lot harder than running a company. And he’d never been THAT good at running the company. Maybe Howard had just never noticed how fucking hard this was. After all, he didn’t seem to find any challenge in running the company and, well, he probably only came out here like once a year to prove that, yes, he was a King thank you very much and if he’d won his title in a high stakes game of poker it didn’t matter because it was still legitimate. 

Honestly, Tony had never planned on living here. He hadn’t been out here since his did died. Wouldn’t be here now if the damn army hadn’t turned up at his doorstep with permission to take him into custody and steal his suits. 

Even then, he’d figured the place had been running itself for years without anyone with Stark in their name stopping by. He wasn’t running some kind of dictatorship; there was a democratically elected government. He figured he’d drop by, avail himself of a little Kingly hospitality, wait for the noise to die down and then leave. 

Problem was, the streak of luck he normally seemed to ride on his been kind of letting him down of late and when he landed he found a country on the verge of civil war. The government had been disbanded. There was fighting in the street. There were cults and poverty and, yeah, he’d brought a hell of a lot of money and stuff with him (okay, so maybe he’d made a run before Uncle Sam had gotten as far as his doorstep) but how the hell do you fix that? 

How the hell was he going to fix this? 

If Pepper hadn’t agreed, in a moment of madness, to follow him into exile the entire island would probably be gone by now. As it was, she was a lot better at running a country then he could ever hope to be. Kind of like she’d been better at running the company and was mostly still doing that via the wonders of modern communication. 

Still, Pepper was great but he couldn’t help but feel a kind of responsibility for these people. After all, he was their King even if he was only their King because his dad won a bet. And their lives were shit. When he’d thought about this place over the years (it wasn’t often) he’d thought they were living in peace and moderate wealth and, he didn’t know, skipping through flowers or something. Not butchering each other in the streets over wheat. 

Pepper had pretty much dealt with the killings because she was awesome and much better at people than he was but there was still all the underlying bullshit that had started the entire thing. Poverty, lack of food, lack of education. He could do something about those things. He SHOULD do something about those things. He just wasn’t sure WHAT he could do. 

That was why he’d paid for someone to bring him the Hulk. Least he could do, since he’d drawn international attention, was provide some protection and nobody was going to attack when he had that card up his sleeve. The world had seen the footage from Harlem. This thing was a serious threat. 

Which was why, when he get a call from a panicked guard just five hours after installing the beast asking him to please hurry down, he needed to see this, his heart dropped. He rushed down thinking over everything that could have gone wrong. Pepper had told him this was a ridiculous idea. She’s told him not to do it and he got that, alright, the thing was unstable but he could control it. If anyone in the world could he could. 

Still, rushing through the hells he couldn’t get the panic out of his head, the idea of smashed walls and floors and just, well, just a wreck being left in place of his nice new detention and storage facility. 

And, alright, the thing wasn’t smashed which was great but there was also kind of a problem he could see. 

“Where’s my Hulk?” 

The guard, a kind of pasty girl who looked like she’d rather be anywhere but here, pointed into the cage and, well shit. 

“Shit,” Tony exhaled, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair. What he hadn’t noticed in all the rush was, well, a naked guy lying face-down on the bottom of the cage. Well, at least he should be easier to store this way. 

“Alright,” he said, turning on the pasty guard. “Get some people on this. I need to know who he is, first. Then how to get him to change back. Contact me if anything changes, I need to make some calls.” 

***

It was disturbing how used he was getting to waking up naked in a strange location. A terrible reflection on his life and his person, really, that this was what he’d come to. That he opened his eyes to an unfamiliar metal room and the worried gazes of a group of people and all he felt was a sort of resigned depression. It’s happened again. 

He rolled over and sat up as quickly as his aching body would allow, trying to preserve any modesty he had from the people watching. One of them was on a phone, probably calling Ross. He didn’t recognize this installation but it was always Ross. 

He was getting so damn tired of looking. 

None of the people stood around seemed willing to open the door so he turned away from them, hunching over to hide his own nudity. He’d hoped that getting outside the US would be enough to deter Ross. Apparently not. Unless this wasn’t Ross but his brain didn’t quite want to process that yet. He couldn’t imagine anyone else insane enough they’d try to cage the other guy. 

At least he’d answered his question. This was something he was going to have to live with, he couldn’t end it. He’d been hopeful. Well, not hopeful. He’d just wanted it over, once and for all. Apparently, though, that was too much to ask. It made sense. If this was his punishment he shouldn’t be allowed to choose it’s terms. 

Still, he needed to get out of here. If he couldn’t die then at least he could make sure he wasn’t used as a weapon. He had no intention of being the US military's pet monster. 

There were a series of clicks behind him and he turned to see the door sliding open. Iron Man strode through and Bruce raised an eyebrow. The last he’d heard he got the distinct impression that Tony Stark was persona non-Grata with the US military which meant either they’d managed to get the suit from him or this wasn’t a military facility after all. That was confirmed when the visor slid back to reveal a face familiar from the front of magazines. 

Tony Stark tossed a pile of clothes in his direction and Bruce slid forward quickly, gathering them up and scrambling into them as fast as he physically could. They were a little big but that was the least of his worries. 

“Welcome, Doctor Banner,” Stark said, and Bruce wasn’t really surprised that this man knew who he was. 

“How did you find me?” he asked, skipping the formalities. Stark shrugged, the move looking oddly exaggerated in his suit. 

“I waited. Know you’d make yourself known eventually. How much control do you have over the change, exactly?” 

Stark didn’t know. Brilliant. He was in the hands of an egotist who didn’t know a damn thing about him. This could only end well. Some of that must have shown on his face as Stark was giving him a dark look again. Better to answer. 

“It happens when I get angry,” he said. Stark didn’t look impressed by the answer but Bruce guessed he wouldn’t be either. “Or when I’m in extreme physical danger. I have some control over it but, well, it’s a monster, Mr Stark. Sometimes it just does what it pleases.” 

“Fine,” Stark said, finally stepping back a little and turning to head out of the room. He gestured for Bruce to follow and, for want of a better idea, Bruce went. Stark seemed to relax at that, slower to let Bruce walk beside him which was, well, it was new. He wasn’t used to the people who captured him treating him like a person. 

“I don’t know how your knowledge of the political situation is with, well, you spending your time terrorizing locals in Indonesia as a giant green rage monster but I’m kind of exiled from the US right now. This place is, well, a kind of tiny island nation but the important part it my did once won this place in a bet so I’m their King. That means I need a deterrent to keep these people safe, that’s why I brought you here.” 

“I’m not sure I’m much use as a deterrent,” Bruce replied. “More of a threat to the people here, I’d think.” 

“I did think that,” Stark said with a smirk. “Then I kind of figured since you didn’t show up for a while you had it under control.” 

“Or there was a way to control me?” 

“Or that,” Stark agreed easily. “I’m trying to help these people, not hurt them. That’s why I’m talking to you. I’m asking for your help.” 

“And why should I help you?” Bruce asked. At least Stark was asking nicely before turning him into a weapon. That was new, at least. Not that he could help. Too risky for everyone involved but maybe Stark would take him towards the edge of the compound and he could make his escape. 

“Not me, my people. They’re kind of vulnerable, figure you might know how that feels. Also, while you protect me I’m protecting you. Seems to me with have a mutual enemy, they might think twice about taking us both on at once. Also, access to the labs. I’ve got a pretty good setup here. You might like it.” 

“Might I?” Bruce asked, sarcastic. Stark probably didn’t even know what he’d look for in a lab. 

“Yeah. It’s my own personal lab but I read your work on anti-electron collisions and it’s unparalleled. I don’t mind sharing workspace with a like-minded person. Much. I didn’t managed to bring everything over from the US but I’ve been shipping bits in when I can, it’s pretty sweet. I’ve still got the particle accelerator I built last year.” 

“You built a particle accelerator?” 

“Yeah. Turns out palladium in your chest isn’t a good long-term idea. I needed to invent a new element to power this thing,” he tapped his chest. Bruce had seen the pictures before, of course. An arc reactor. He knew that Stark had built it, he was a mechanic. He just hadn’t thought the other man as a scientist too. They were generally different things. 

The worst part was he did want to go look at the lab. It had been, well, a long time since he’d been able to work properly. He missed it. Science had always been more than work to him, it was a calling. He couldn’t, though. Whatever pretty paper Stark put it in he still wanted to use the other guy as a weapon. Wanted to put him in a cage and Bruce wouldn’t be anyone’s lesson. 

They turned on to a corridor with windows and Bruce saw the sun. Now or never, he took a deep breath and then he got angry. 

***

Bruce woke up slowly. Everything ached, again. It took him a few seconds to realize he knew where he was and his heart sunk. Right where he’d been last time he woke up, then. He was trapped. 

He pushed himself up, wincing, and looked over his shoulder to find only one bored looking guard watching him this time. The guard caught his eye and picked up the phone. That probably meant Stark would be here soon. Great, just what he didn’t want. 

Though it felt like one hell of a long time since things had last gone his way so he couldn’t exactly say he was surprised. 

Stark arrived with clothes only minus the suit this time. The guard stood in the door, gun trained on Bruce as Stark handed the clothes over, his expression kind of inscrutable. For a second Bruce wondered why Stark had bothered to do this himself though he figured maybe he was the only one on this rock crazy enough to put himself in a cage with the other guy. 

“I had to try,” he said, finally, straightening the too-large shirt. “I don’t want to be a weapon.” 

“I get that,” Stark said, cold and distant. “But you won’t get another chance. I need to protect these people, you’re my best shot at that. I just wish we’d done this the easy way, I think you’d have really enjoyed the lab.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

***

“So, my guards keep telling me you’re up to something sinister because you’re asking for paper.” 

It wasn’t the first time someone had used the sound system built in to his cage to talk to him but Bruce still jumped at Stark’s voice. He turned to see the other man stood at the control panel with a raised eyebrow. It was the first time he’d seen him in the week since his escape attempt and he honestly hadn’t expected to see him again at all. He was a King, after all. And he was wanted by the US military. He was probably too busy to worry about Bruce. 

“Not really, I’m just bored,” Bruce said, gesturing around the empty expanse of his cage. There wasn’t even a place to sit. It had obviously been designed for the other guy, not him (which made Bruce wonder if Tony had even known what he was actually getting when he brought the other guy in). There was a frankly mortifying waste removal system and a complicated food delivery system built in to the panel by the door but no seat or, well, anything, and there were only so many hours Bruce could spend staring at the walls before he went mad. 

“Bored?” 

“Yeah. I know you’re not going to let me out of here but I figured it couldn’t hurt for me to write ideas down. You can see everything I write. I’m just going a little crazy in here.” 

Stark nodded knowingly, then grabbed some pens and a notepad and made his way over to the door. Bruce had expected him to put them in a food delivery thing but, instead, he opened the door and let himself in, handing them directly to Bruce. 

“I get that,” he said, looking distracted. “If you need anything else ask, I’ll tell my guards to stop being paranoid. What the hell they thought you were going to do with paper anyway I don’t know.” 

“Thanks,” Bruce said, clutching the pad like a lifeline. 

***

Tony hadn’t expected Bruce, but he was honestly kind of glad he’d got him at the moment. Smashed wall and all. 

The thing that sucked about being King was everyone expected you to be King. He had to fix problem, do things for them. Honestly, he’d rather just be in his lab playing with his suit but apparently you can’t do that kind of think when you’re the leader of a nation. 

Bruce didn’t expect anything like that. Once they’d got past the “Mr Stark” phase of their relationship they were actually doing pretty good. Tony, well, he kind of liked Bruce. He’d head down there whenever he had time and Bruce always had pages of notes or experiments running and he seemed to sleep just as little as Tony did so they’d sit there for hours and talk science. 

He knew it was pretty pathetic for him to use Bruce as a friend, he was holding him prisoner after all, but life was kind of against him at the moment and he’d take what he got. Besides, he’d never had a friend who would keep up with him quite like Bruce did before. It was new and exciting and he only wished it had happened in a lab in New York instead of here and now so that he could really enjoy it without everything else hanging over his head. 

***

“Tony, stop!” 

Tony stopped. It was kind of instinct by now to stop when Pepper shouted at him in that tone, if he didn’t things were only going to get worse. It was her ‘things are really serious now Tony’ voice. 

“Whatever it is, I’m not responsible for it,” he said, shifting from foot to foot. Maybe ‘I don’t want to be responsible for it’ would have been a better line to go for, more honest at least. Pepper just looked angry. 

“We need to talk about the food crisis.” 

“Do we?” Tony asked. Honestly, he’d not done much but talk about the food crisis for the past week. Or it felt like that anyway. He’d met with farmers, local officials, random people who had strong opinions. Everyone was rushing to tell him that, you know, they don’t have enough food. Yes, even with intensive farming methods. And since he’s, you know, a wanted criminal they’re struggling to find countries willing to ship to them. 

So it’s kind of terrible. But he’d thought they’d talked it to death. 

“We need a plan of action, Tony.” 

“Go ask someone on the street,” he said with an arm wave. “They all seem to have ideas.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped. “These people are relying on you. You’re their King.” 

“They managed without me for years.” 

“And now they’re starving and you need to help them.” 

“And I can’t,” Tony said, waving his hand in front of himself. ”I’ve tried, Pep. I really have. But I can’t come up with anything.” 

“Then you’re going to have a revolution on your hands, and where are we going to go then since you got us thrown out of the US?” Pepper asked, spinning on her heel and walking away. 

“You chose to come with me,” he shouted at her retreating back but as comebacks went it was kind of terrible. 

Damn, he hated being a King. Hated being responsible. It wasn’t like he didn’t get that everyone was looking up to him. Everyone was waiting for him to sort something out and he wished he could. Vaguely he found himself wishing for the days before Afghanistan when he didn’t really care about anyone other than himself. That would be so much easier. If he could just go play with his suit and let the peasants die. 

Only he couldn’t. He was the one who’d come here. He had to set it right. 

Later. He’d set it right later. Right now he clearly needed a break. Especially if he was fighting with Pepper. That was never a good sign. So, a short break to see Bruce, then back to work. 

Seeing Bruce always made him feel better. More on top of things. And it wasn’t like it hurt anything. 

Bruce met him with a smile, but that dropped of his face pretty quickly so Tony guessed he must look as bad as he felt. Sighing, he let himself in to the cage and went to slump on the (brand new, really nice, why did they not think of putting on of these in here before) sofa next to Bruce. 

“Anything I can help with?” Bruce asked, kind of hesitantly. Tony grinned. Bruce must enjoy his company and not just tolerate him, he wanted to help. 

“Not unless you’re hiding a method to drastically increase crop production in a short period of time,” Tony said with a shrug. “We’re having kind of an emergency. It’s a bit...yeah.” 

“Well, what are you trying?” Bruce asked. 

“You know, I just ran away from Pepper because she asked me that. I don’t know! I don’t know anything about farming or, well, anything to do with crop production. This isn’t my area.” 

“Are you seriously telling me there’s something you accept you can’t do?” Bruce asked with a quirk of his lip. “I might not have known you all that long but that doesn’t sound right at all.” 

“Yeah yeah, laugh it up,” Tony said, standing to pace. “This is...I’ve got an entire kingdom looking at me to fix an agricultural problem and I can’t!” 

“If you can’t fix their agricultural problem then fix their engineering one.” 

“I don’t think that’ll help,” Tony said, but Bruce was shaking his head. 

“No, I mean you’re thinking about this wrong. Stop thinking about agriculture, start thinking about the solution in terms of engineering. See if anything comes to you.” 

“You know that...that actually might work,” Tony trailed of, running through the problem again in his head. Yeah, if he thought about it like that then...maybe….

“Come on,” he said, grabbing Bruce’s arm and pulling him up. “We need to get to the lab, I might have an idea.” 

“You’re taking me?” Bruce asked, an incredulous look on his face. 

“Sure,” Tony said with a distracted shrug. “Just don’t get angry if I play some music while we work.” 

***

There were no windows in the lab but the lights had subtly dimmed some time ago and even if they hadn’t Bruce’s exhaustion would let him know it was late. He hadn’t realized before but working with Tony was like working with a whirlwind. He was brilliant and innovative and made leaps Bruce had trouble following. 

All in all, it had been one of the best afternoons he’d had in years. He’d felt useful, felt necessary to Tony’s work, even. It was hard not to respond to Tony by upping his own game - working harder and thinking in a more abstract way. He’d probably done some of his best work. 

And they’d probably solved the problem but right now that seemed to matter less. 

Bruce put the finishing touches on his part of the project and glanced over at Tony. The other man had lost the fight with sleep a short time ago and was sprawled across a bench snoring. He’d just kind of kept going until he’d fallen asleep where he sat and Bruce was familiar with that. 

Then it hit him, pushed to the back of his mind while they worked. He was out of the cage. Right now, he was out and unwatched. Tony was sleeping. There’s be a low guard at this time of night. He could probably, honestly, just slip out. Steal a boat. Go. It wouldn’t be the first time. 

He should WANT to go. The thing was, he kind of didn’t. What good would it do? He’d probably get caught and, well, life wasn’t bad. He was, to an extent, safe here. Tony could bring him down with minimal property damage, he’d shown that. Maybe it’d be nice, for a while, to be in a place where he wasn’t the only thing standing between the world and the other guy. Maybe it would be nice to trust someone else for once and maybe Tony could be that person. 

***

Tony woke with a jolt, which wasn’t unusual, calling for Jarvis to get the lights before he even realized he was in the lab (Jarvis only worked in the lab right now. He’d rig up the rest of the place eventually but the lab had been priority). The lights came up and he looked around. 

Bruce was curled up on the couch. For a guy who got so big when he was angry he had a real habit of making himself look tiny. 

He was there. Tony had trusted him, brought him up here, and he hadn’t smashed anything or run. This needed celebration. Probably with pancakes. If only he could cook. Maybe Bruce could cook. Pancakes, then science, then food for everyone. 

He went over and kicked Bruce lightly. Bruce grunted and rolled over, looking up at Tony before coming awake properly. 

“Do you know how to make pancakes?” 

“Yes…” 

“Good. We need celebration pancakes. Then I’m going to show the world what we worked on last night. Or at least Pepper. You can sleep more, if you like. We should probably find you a room.” 

“You’re not going to send me back to the cage?” 

“Are you going to run?” 

“No.” 

“Then I’m not going to send you back to the cage. Come on, pancakes!” 

***

“I shouldn’t have to wash the dishes,” Tony complained. “I’m King. I’m pretty sure I get a royal exception to washing the dishes.” 

“I thought you didn’t want to be King,” Bruce replied, dumping a dirty pan to Tony’s left. “I thought you hated being King.” 

“I do,” Tony agreed. “But it's got to be good for something, right?” 

“I cooked, you wash. That was the deal.” 

“We have a dishwasher…” 

“There’s not enough here to justify turning it on,” Bruce insisted. “Just wash the damn dishes and we can go do some science for a while until you’re needed to be Kingly again.” 

“Sure,” Tony said with a sigh, grabbing the pan. He’d been having to give more and more of his time to royal duties recently and it was getting annoying. Since they’d managed to stop everyone from starving the amount of stuff he had to do seemed to have increased instead of decreased. And the UN had been making problems too, which took up a lot of time. They weren’t siding with the U.S. YET but they weren’t happy with Tony either. 

All in all, it made him pretty glad that he could trust Bruce now. He didn’t have to go find Bruce to spend time, Bruce would just be kicking around the place. If he had problems or ideas or whatever it was always easy to find Bruce, there was nearly always time. They could talk over meals and did most days. They could talk as they worked so Tony didn’t have to give up lab time for Bruce time. 

They just spent a lot of time together and it was kind of awesome. 

Really, really awesome. Bruce got him in a way most people didn’t. Bruce could put up with him in a way a lot of people just couldn’t. He enjoyed being around Bruce, wanted to see him. Wanted to make him happy. 

Shit. 

Just, fuck. He was an idiot. 

***

“Bruce?” 

“Yes?” Bruce looked up from the microscope and his hair was a complete mess and he looked annoyed at being disturbed and Tony still kind of wanted to thrown him down on the table and have his way with him. Yeah, he should really have worked this out before. 

“Sex. We should have it. Me and you, right now.” 

Bruce blinked a little and didn’t reply. 

“Alright, so maybe that’s not the most subtle or charismatic come on I’ve ever used but I worked out I wanted to this morning and then I was busy and I’ve had to wait for hours so I should get points for not just skipping out on Kingly duties to hit on you.” 

“I’m not sure that’s how it works,” Bruce said, but he was smiling now. “I’m also not sure that’s a particularly good idea.” 

“I think it’s an awesome idea,” Tony said, getting closer and swinging an arm around Bruce’s neck. “Think about it, we obviously get on. I think you’re sexy. I know I’m sexy. We’d have awesome sex together. It’d be mind-blowing and after we could talk about particle physics. Scientists make the best lovers, I’m not really seeing the bad in this idea. I mean, unless you don’t want me.” 

“That’s not exactly the issue,” Bruce said, flushing a little. “I just...it’s just the other guy.” 

“The other guy?” 

“The big green one.” 

“And he has what to do with this?” Tony asked, leaning back on the bench. He sometimes even forgot about the other guy these days, Bruce was just Bruce. He’d kept it under control since, well, since he’d last chosen to lose control. 

“The last time I tried to, well, have sex...things got kind of intense.” 

“You lost control in bed?” 

“No, but my heart rate went right up and, well, it was close. It’s probably not a good idea.” 

“But, let’s be clear - if you knew you’d stay you then you’d have sex with me?” 

“Yes,” Bruce said, blush firmly on his face and Tony, grinning, lent in for a kiss because why the hell not? Bruce responded reluctantly, but it was enough. 

“Alright,” Tony said as he pulled away. “So we need to find a way for you to increase your heart rate without triggering the other guy. That should be easy enough.” 

“Seriously?” 

“Seriously,” Tony said with a grin. “It’s an engineering problem and engineering problems are something I can do.” 

***

Bruce would have had to be both blind and stupid to not consider Tony Stark, and he was neither of those things. Or, well, arguably stupid about some things but definitely not blind. He was clever enough to know that some of the attachment he was feeling was that they’d spent so much time together. He was also self-aware enough to know that he might not find someone willing to work to be with him again. Not know. Not with the other guy hanging over them. 

But, outside of that, he enjoyed Tony’s company. These were the last circumstances in the world he’d have expected to find companionship but here it was. 

Not that he’d ever considered, even at his best, accepting. He still had nightmares about the thought of the other guy coming out during sex. He’d probably kill whoever he was with and they wasn’t an option. It hadn’t been with Betty, it wasn’t with Tony. 

In the back corner of his mind where he had considered going to Tony with this, he’d always thought Tony would just turn around and accept his no. Would go of and find himself a different partner, he had no shortage, and Bruce could carry on his nice normal life undisturbed. 

He should have known better. Tony loved a challenge. 

But, honestly, he could never have predicted the level of dedication Tony would bring to this. Not when he could have sex with any number of people. This wasn’t for sex, not really, it was for him. For Bruce. 

It seemed that every free minute at the moment was spent pouring over ideas, testing. Tony thought a very mild version of the sedative he’d used to knock out the other guy might be effective and if it was, well, if Bruce had something he could just take when he felt the other guy creeping in at the edges of his vision…

He didn’t want to get his hopes up but this could change his life. 

Tony had already changed his life. Given him a place to live. Give him a friend. Not been scared of the other guy. If he could give him this too…

***

“Alright, I think this is it,” Tony said, dropping a sealed test tube on the table in front of Bruce. “I mean, I’ve done every test I can do on it other than have someone drink it so, yeah, it’s kind of time.” 

“Right now?” Bruce said, glancing up at the clock. It was coming on midnight so they wouldn’t be needed for anything else today at least. Probably worth a try. 

“Sure. I mean, it might not be right. Might knock you right out so we should probably go to the bedroom before you drink it but it’s as good of a first draft as we’re going to get.” 

“Reassuring,” Bruce said with a smile. He wasn’t actually worried, he’d seen how much work Tony had put into this. He’d definitely not scrimped on any stage to get it ready. “So, we’re going to the bedroom then?” 

“I guess so,” Bruce said, standing and lifting the test tube. There was only a small amount of liquid in it, maybe a mouthful. He really hoped it didn’t just knock him out and, if the way Tony’s hand had moved to trail up and down his back was any indication, Tony was hoping that too. 

They made the walk to the bedroom and in record speed and Bruce downed the liquid almost as soon as the door shut, moving quickly to sit on Tony’s bed. He’d slept here a few times since Tony had decided to go with the least subtle method of seduction in history so he was comfortable here. Comfortable with Tony, who was watching him hopefully. 

He felt the stuff working almost immediately, a kind of sleepy heaviness coming over his limbs and for a second he was afraid it was too strong. He slumped back on the bed as Tony climbed up behind him, stroking his arm. 

“Hey, don’t worry if it’s not right. We’ll try it again until we get it.” 

“Want it to work this time,” Bruce mumbled. Tony laughed, leaning over to kiss him and Bruce let him, humming pleasantly into the kiss. As the kissed, slow and leisurely, the tiredness began to fade from Bruce’s limbs. Not entirely but enough that he could lift his hands to grip Tony’s shoulders, pull him closer. 

“How are you feeling?” Tony asked finally, pulling away just enough to say the words. 

“Better,” Bruce confirmed, running his hands over Tony’s shoulders. “I think the other guy’s processing some of it, taking the initial sting out? I don’t feel like I’m going to fall asleep on the spot anyway.” 

“Well, I am a genius,” Tony said, nodding sincerely. “It was bound to work. So, you up for the next experimental step?” 

“If it’s for science,” Bruce said with a grin. “I suppose I could be convinced.” 

“I’ll see what I can do about the convincing,” Tony said, leaning in and kissing him again. 

***

Bruce woke up slowly, warm and safe. Tony was pressed along his back in an incredibly intimate way, arm draped over his side and legs tangled together. He’d done it. They’d done it. They had a cure that could keep the other guy from coming out and somehow they’d found each other too. 

It was ridiculous but he wasn’t going to complain. 

Tony shifted behind him and he smiled, rolling over for a good morning kiss. Tony delivered one with morning breath Bruce didn’t even care about, he was just so happy to have it. 

“Not regretting anything, are we?” Tony asked against his lips. 

“Not a thing,” Bruce replied.


End file.
